This year, our annual gala, taking place tomorrow at the Four Seasons, will honor the life and work of JBF Award winner Charlie Trotter. Our TBT for this week captures a moment between Trotter and JBF Award winner Norman Van Aken, who is leading our celebration of Trotter’s legacy. Aken, along with a roster of Trotter’s friends and protégés, has crafted a menu in tribute to the late chef’s substantial influence on American cuisine.​

We are deeply saddened by the passing of renowned chef and restaurateur Charlie Trotter, who died today at the age of 54. Trotter was a pioneer in the food industry, forever changing American cuisine with his Chicago restaurant Charlie Trotter’s, which was an international culinary destination for 25 years before closing in 2012.

“Charlie Trotter was not only one of our country’s most influential chefs, he was a mentor, an innovator, and a great humanitarian,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. “He was also a friend and great supporter of our Foundation from its very beginning. He will be missed.”

Charlie Trotter was the recipient of nine James Beard Awards, including the 2012 Humanitarian of the Year award. He was also a frequent guest chef at the James Beard House and was the 2007 honoree at Chefs & Champagne. Read his profile in our 2012 JBF Awards program ... Read more >

Since he established the Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation in 1999, Charlie Trotter has worked hard to encourage and support the pursuit of culinary education for students in the Chicago area. Watch a short video about his philanthropy below.

Here’s what’s happening at the Beard House next week:
Tuesday, March 8, 7:00 P.M.
Mardi Gras Seafood Celebration
Let the bons temps roll this Fat Tuesday when Tenney Flynn and the GW Fins team join us at the Beard House to celebrate Mardi Gras. The renowned restaurant has been serving its globally influenced seafood in the heart of New Orleans’s French Quarter for the past ten years.
Wednesday, March 9, 12:00 P.M.
Beard on Books: Grant Achatz's Life on the LineJoin us in the dining room of the landmark James Beard House for the next installment of Beard on Books, a literary series featuring readings and discussions with some of the food world’s most celebrated authors.
Wednesday, March 9, 7:00 P.M

Here’s what’s happening at the Beard House next week:
Monday, April 26, 7:00 P.M.
Sustainable Seafood Feast
At the intimate Copper Beech Inn, acclaimed executive chef Tyler Anderson finds inspiration in the Connecticut River Valley, creating New England–inflected modern American dishes. An alum of Vermont’s Equinox and Colorado’s RockResorts, Anderson has designed a magnificent menu for this feast, pairing pristine local produce with the finest sustainable seafood.
Tuesday, April 27, 7:00 P.M.
Le Cirque Spectacular
Though the recent multimillion-dollar reopening of Le Cirque marked a new era in the storied restaurant’s 30-